Every news channel covers the exact same story the exact same way. They identify the news item, go live to a reporter who is standing by (to ask if there's any new news about the news item), and then finally the experts to weigh in when there's no breaking new news.

There's a crack in the sky. I first noticed in on the way home, driving west on Olympic past Century City yesterday. At first I assumed there was a crack in my windshield, which surprised me. But after a moment of wondering how the hell I'd put such a dark crack in my windshield, I noticed the crack wasn't in the windshield. It was in the sky.

It's just a small crack in the firmament. It's a sunny, 70 degree day. The sky is a lovely light blue. Just a few small, scattered, puffy, harmless clouds here and there. And a black crack going, oh, maybe only 18 degrees across the 180 stretch from horizon to horizon.

It looks like a small shatter, as if some grand being tapped the earth as one would a hard-boiled egg with the edge of a butter knife.

I've seen lots of closeups of the crack on the news, but they don't reveal anything you don't get with your bare eye. It's a frickin' crack, that's all. The experts are weighing in on it, but they don't know any more than everyone else staring at it. Scientists aren't sure of anything anymore. Religious zealots are claiming it's a sign. It is a sign.

Who would think a little crack could cause so much consternation, confusion and rethinking of everything we know?